Broken
by gone-phishing
Summary: Short One-Shot of Link's POV when observing the darkness grow inside of Allen. Set after Cross tells Allen about 14th, Enjoy! Disclaimer: All characters are owned by Hoshino Katsura


**Author's Note: This is just a random One-shot that has been floating around my head ever since I read the chapter with Cross explaining the fourteenth to Allen. Enjoy!**

**Broken**

It was his job to observe the boy named Allen Walker- The friend, the co-worker, the exorcist, the martyr, the savior…the 'traitor'. He was the only one capable of smiling through the darkness, after what the boy of only 16 had been through; it was amazing that his sanity was still intact.

He was the one the Order would go to for advice, or if they needed someone to comfort them, he was literally all the 'hope' the Black Order had, materialized into a person. Everyone began to think of him as just that, their hope, their symbol, not the child he truly was.

The inspector had noticed changes in the boy…not significant, or seeming so, but small, miniscule differences in everything he did. Link was sure that the young bookman had noticed, but he still didn't speak out, while the rest of the boy's friends remained completely oblivious.

It had started a month ago, but the inspector decided not to mention it to the white-haired exorcist. Every morning at precisely 4:30 am, he would sit up and stare into nothingness. His eyes were wide open, and all traces of his heart-warming smile, completely gone. It was the same, every morning he would just sit and stare at the wall. He would do this every time, regardless of where he was and whom he was with. Link didn't dare to ask him what he was doing, he was sure that even though his eyes were open, he was not conscious.

So the inspector just watched, and waited.

Even before the level four attacked, the boy seemed to avoid mirrors. Link thought nothing of it at the time but, alas, after the level four incident, Walker grew even more paranoid. He would never look at any mirrors, regardless of where he was. It had worsened recently though, the boy would no longer look at windows, and each time he saw his reflection he face fell completely.

Whenever he gazed at himself, his face would twist from that same smile that the Order relied so heavily on into pure disgust and loathing. Link could swear, sometimes Walker seemed like he was about to destroy his reflection, which lead to many broken windows and mirrors. Link had a hard time explaining that his acts were not suicidal, and purposeful self-mutilation, but no longer could he truly tell if it was true or not…

Even after this, his 'friends' still appeared to remain oblivious to his pain. From Link's perspective, they couldn't see past his fake-smiles, and cheery persona, whereas Link could see that he was starting to break... And the fact that no one was there for him only worsened the situation.

But how Walker's personality began to change was one of the determining signs.

It started with the whispers, rumors, and the talk of him being a traitor. When he was with his friends, he acted cheery, optimistic, always with his smile firmly intact, anyone would believe he was truly happy, but not Link. The inspector had observed his smile crack and falter every time he heard the whispers and rumors.

No one else may have noticed but Link did, he could see his smile twist for a split second, every time he overheard his 'allies' discuss him.

He could tell the boy was struggling with the rejection, as all he had ever asked was to be accepted. Link wanted to be able to comfort him, to tell him it would be alright, but Walker was meant to mean nothing to the dedicated inspector. He was simply meant to be another traitor, a monster, a Noah. But spending so much time with him had made the inspector come to realize that Walker was just a boy…

He cried when he needed to, he suffered when his 'friends' insulted him behind his back, he argued with the samurai, just as he laughed with his friends. Even with all the burdens thrust upon his shoulders by fate itself, the fact that he was still able to smile, to be everything and anything anyone needed made him seem almost more than human.

Even though the signs kept popping up, Link couldn't help but make excuses, he wanted to believe that everything was alright with Walker, he wanted to be able to let his guard down and let the poor boy out of the Order for the first time in months. The fresh air would have done him some good, but Central had other ideas.

It was that night, the night where Walker's master explained about the fourteenth, as well as his destiny - which seemed more like a death sentence.

It was then that the boy's perfectly placed mask shattered.

He broke.

He couldn't hold that fake smile which gave everyone hope. He could no longer simply pretend everything was alright, and that he was fine.

In truth, Allen had noticed the signs long ago.

His patience and tolerance for his friend's antics grew thinner and thinner, as eventually he had to just simply excuse himself before lashing out.

The inspector always followed him, he had found it infuriating at first, but then it felt like someone may actually realize his struggle, his pain.

Allen could no longer look at mirrors; it terrified him, what looked back at him.

Allen Walker was scared.

He was scared that one day, he would look at the mirror and no longer see the fourteenth's reflection.

He was scared that if he closed his eyes, he would never wake up. He was scared that soon he would no longer be 'Allen Walker'.

He simply stood in his room for hours, staring at the wall. Link was still obliged to watch the boy, although personally after tonight he believed Walker needed some peace. To the inspector's surprise, he started chuckling, though the laughter was anything but joyous. It was filled with hatred, loathing and despair. The inspector still remembered that smile from that night, as he turned around slowly.

"Kill someone I love? The only one I love died a long time ago…And now I find out, he may have never loved me…" he muttered, turning back to the inspector with a heart-wrenching smile.

Link felt a terrible loss, he knew that he would have to record this, just like everything else…

Today, Allen Walker broke.


End file.
